Linda Eder Reigns At The Palace

"Any time I play a venue in Manhattan, I am always so relieved when it goes well. I've had some (at least what I consider) hits and misses over the last many years. It's a tough town. Fortunately it seems to like me. I can't thank Nick Scandalios enough for bringing me to the Palace for two shows. The air, the audience was electric and I was on such an emotional high that I had to weight my shoes to keep myself from floating into the rafters. Do you know the echoes that are still floating around in those famous rafters? Legendary voices from years past and most clearly the voice of Judy Garland. I could hear her alright. 'You did okay, kid. You did okay!' Kid... at my age. My birthday's coming up soon. That was my present."

March 24, 1913… The Palace, now a Broadway landmark, opened its doors to the public. Since that time, many great performers have played to the packed 1,740-seat house, thrilling tough New York critics and audiences alike. But the greatest thrill came on December 17 and 18, 2004, when Linda Eder and the Band played The Palace for the first time. Finally, nearly a century since its opening, The Palace had its queen!

Linda's fans traveled from near and far to attend what would surely go down in history as two of Linda's greatest performances. And they weren't disappointed. The Palace shows, mostly traditional holiday songs sprinkled with jazzy covers and matchless originals, were spectacular.

There was cheerful anticipation in the air as the house lights dimmed and Jeremy and the Band took the stage. They began with the intro to "Bells of St. Paul" and then "Here Comes Santa Claus/Santa Claus Is Comin' To Town," as the announcement, "Ladies and Gentlemen, would you please welcome Linda Eder!" rang through the theatre. Linda took the stage in a stunning black, blue and silver gown as the crowd greeted her with applause fit for royalty. The band continued to play but Linda had to wait for the crowd to calm down before she could begin "Here Comes Santa Claus/Santa Claus Is Comin' To Town." When she did, the entire theatre seemed like it was dancing! The energy exuded from the stage was contagious.

"Bells of St. Paul" was next. Linda's voice took off like a rocket and the Percussion from Joe Passaro was especially enjoyable here. A softer song was required to bring us back down to earth and so Linda, with just Jeremy Roberts on Piano, performed "The Christmas Song." The pure and simple beauty of Linda's voice filled the theatre, as some fans' eyes filled with tears. What more beautiful a reminder of days gone by and the joys of the holiday season than this timeless classic sung so lovely by Linda.

The crowd was then treated to a medley of three new Linda-covers, "The Best Is Yet To Come/The Man I Love/Just In Time," which truly highlighted Linda's powerhouse swing side as well her sultry jazz tones. These songs also featured special solo moments from her army of talented musicians-David Finck's rich, brisk Bass, David Mann's smooth, soothing Sax, and Barry Danielian's intensely piquant Trumpet.

Linda's voice soared during a tenderly expressive version of "What Are You Doing The Rest Of Your Life," and reached new heights with "Edelweiss," which brought applause mid-song following an impressive, crisp high note. "Edelweiss" included some stirring moments with the magnificent Stephanie Cummins on Cello. A new original ballad, "You're The One," with lyrics that tug at the heartstrings, showcased Linda's lower and upper ranges in a dazzling display of emotion. And as if this song weren't enough to dissolve everyone in the crowd to puddles of tears, "If I Could," which Linda sang for her child, was next. It was a quietly beautiful moment, encompassing all the sentiment of motherhood.

Linda talked about the life of Camille Claudel and the musical, which they hope to bring to Broadway. She introduced and sang two songs from CAMILLE CLAUDEL, "What's Never Been Done Before" and "Gold." Both songs were magnificent. With overtones of resplendent conviction in her voice, Linda transformed herself into Camille and triumphed on the Palace stage. Act I wrapped up with the punchy crowd-pleaser "Man Of La Mancha." The thunderous crowd leapt from their seats, but there was still more to come!

For the second half of the evening, Linda, dressed in a gorgeous sparkly gown fit for a queen, and the Band were joined by the incomparable Dave Clemmons Choir. Act II mainly featured holiday classics, and began with "O Come O Come Emmanuel/What Child Is This," followed by "Do You Hear What I Hear," which brought the most impressive standing ovation of the night. A unique arrangement of "Ave Maria" touched our hearts and a dynamic "Little Drummer Boy" filled every corner of the theatre.

The second new original of the evening, "Lifted," summed up what many of the fans were feeling. The lyrics, "I am lifted when I'm surrounded by your spirit," resonated so clearly for many present. And then during "Silent Night," we quietly wondered if this was what angels in heaven sound like.

"Vienna" was next, a song that Linda commented she still will be singing even if she's 95, "and for some weird reason still singing." Her voice ascended into a glorious crescendo with the choir and the Band. The fans' love for "Vienna" and Linda's amazing talent was evidenced as they once again rose for a standing ovation. The Band went straight into "O Holy Night" and the crowd was captivated by Lind's take on this enduring holiday classic.

The concerts culminated with two encores, "If I Had My Way," Linda's now-signature show closer, and "Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas."

The most poignant moment of the entire "Linda at the Palace" experience came for this particular reviewer at the very end of the Saturday night show. Following the final notes of "Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas," Linda whispered to her son into the microphone, "I love you, Jake." Not only had Linda entertained us with her phenomenal voice for two superb evenings, but in expressing such a deep and enduring love so publicly, Linda subtly, and perhaps without even realizing it, gave us all the greatest gift of all. Amid a season that has become far too commercialized, she reminded all of us of the most important thing we could ever hope to posses in life-- what the holiday spirit is all about--true and everlasting love.

THE VOICE caught up with two of Linda's celebrity friends following The Palace holiday shows…

Chuck Wagner, stage, television and screen star, said...

"I feel extremely lucky to have been in the audience for Linda's Palace concert. In my capacity as standby in DRACULA, I have to stay near the theatre but since my cast is never sick, I felt I could risk being a few blocks away. Linda was very kind to give me a pair of tickets, and since I am on my own here in NY, I gave my second ticket to one of Linda's fans in front of the Palace who was desperate to attend! The seats were great. What a night!

As the Beast [in BEAUTY AND THE BEAST], I played the Palace many, many times, and it was great to see it filled to the brim with such an energized audience. When Linda took the stage, the excitement was electric, and as she sang song after song, she had us all in the palm of her hand. The arrangements really swing, and Jeremy and the Band were perfect. Linda has the most amazing vocal control... prowess, I'd call it... and when she goes from full out belting to that micro-precise soprano it seems super-human.

It was a treat to see Dave Clemmons up there... he was my Jean ValJean in LES MIS, and he knows how to work a choir! All in all, I thought it was amazing. I particularly enjoyed the CAMILLE CLAUDEL songs, and seeing her sing them on Broadway where she belongs. I know from our work together in J&H and SVENGALI what a great actress she is, and look forward to working with her again in a show. I've recently directed MAN OF LA MANCHA, and I love her "I, Don Quixote"... she'd be the ultimate Aldonza. In fact, me as Quixote and Linda as Aldonza... that's a tour I'd like to see!

I could go on and on, but suffice it to say that I am still a big fan of Linda's, and I wish her much success. She's a real star, and it is always a joy to share her music."

Jack Murphy, lyricist, composer and performer, said...

"It was great seeing Linda at The Palace. She's one of the few artists I never get tired of hearing. There are maybe five people on the planet that possess such a wonderful instrument, and it's always a treat listening to her. I especially liked her "Man Of La Mancha" -- such fun and what range ...wow!

The Christmas songs are always great this time of year and it's starting to be a tradition with my wife, Jan, and I to go and listen to Linda's unique take on them. Of course I'm very biased but she gets me every time she sings "If I Had My Way," no matter what time of the year."

The Palace Theatre, with its long and illustrious history as one of New York's great performance spaces, is a true Broadway landmark. Following Linda's two magical performances, it will never be the same! We thought it would be fun to journey into the past to appreciate the history of the Palace, and understand the landmark status of the venue.

The theatre was built by Martin Beck, a key promoter of vaudeville, and was originally designed by architects Kirchoff & Rose. His dream was for the Palace to become what he called the "Valhalla of Vaudeville." The theatre was completed in 1913 and E. F. Albee took over control from Martin Beck before it opened. Headed by Keith - Albee, the Palace became the premiere vaudeville theatre in America. It ran two shows per day from 1913 to 1929 with tickets costing $2 per show. In 1929 the theatre went to three shows per day on Sunday, and in 1932 the number of shows increased to four with ticket prices being lowered to $1 per show.

An amazing array of stars played the Palace from 1913 to 1932. Ed Wynn starred in the opening on May 24, 1913 and Ethel Barrymore appeared in the play, CIVILIZATION, on August 28, 1913. Included among those appearing at the Palace from 1915 to 1920 were: Bert and Bertie Wheeler, Weber and Fields, Harry Houdini, Fanny Brice, Sarah Bernhardt, Irving Berlin, Eddie Cantor and Sophie Tucker, among others. In the years from 1921 to 1925, the Palace welcomed Fanny Brice back for a four-week run as well as Sophie Tucker and Weber and Fields. Jack Benny made his Palace debut in 1924. Judith Anderson, George Burns and Gracie Allen made their debut in 1926, followed by Bob Hope and Ethel Merman in 1930. Fanny Brice was the first star appearing at the Palace to have her name in lights.

In spite of all the incredibly talented stars who appeared at the Palace from 1913 to 1932, they couldn't compete with the movies. And so the Palace became a movie theatre and remained as such for the next thirty years. There were several attempts to bring back the variety format to the Palace with top stars such as Judy Garland in 1951 and again in 1967, but other vaudeville acts were not as successful.

The Palace came alive again in 1965 when it was restored by architect Ralph Aswang under the ownership of the Nederlanders. Aswang kept the theatre's interior mostly intact and it opened as a Broadway theatre in 1966 with the premiere of the Neil Simon - Cy Coleman - Dorothy Fields musical, SWEET CHARITY, starring Gwen Verdon and choreographed by Bob Fosse. SWEET CHARITY was followed by a string of successful Broadway shows starring some of the greatest legends of Broadway: GEORGE M (1968) with Joel Grey and Bernadette Peters, APPLAUSE (1970) with Lauren Bacall, LORELEI (1974) with Carol Channing, LA CAGE AUX FOLLES (1983) with Harvey Fierstein and THE WILL ROGERS FOLLIES (1981) with Keith Carradine. Walt Disney became involved in Broadway ventures and chose the Palace for their production of BEAUTY AND THE BEAST, which ran from 1994 to 1999 before moving to another theatre. In 2000 the Linda Woolverton - Elton John - Tim Rice version of AIDA opened at the Palace and ran until September of 2004.

December 17 and 18, 2004… Linda Eder Reigns at The Palace! (Photos by Bruce Glikas)